Life & Work with Jillian Bhargava

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Bhargava.

Hi Jillian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started loving tabletop role-playing games when I was in High School, mostly Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition. My math teacher was our game master and a huge role model for me. She was so creative and inspiring! She even wrote a young adult fantasy called Phoenix Angel. She taught me to love stories and adventure. From there, I continued to play through college and did my best to recruit all my friends to participate.

In my working life, I’ve worn many hats and even been called a “Jill of many trades”. from assistant wardrobe manager in a costume shop to an operations manager in a credit processing company, I decided I really wanted to try my own thing. I was inspired to open a gaming tavern by a couple in Maryland running a D&D B&B. I thought, wow, they are making a living doing something so unique and that’s the life I want too.

Luckily, I have a supportive husband who has a skill set that I lack. He’s amazing at computers and worked as a mechanical engineer. for a decade. Abhi has stepped up to this challenge, obtained his general contractor’s license, and is helping me to bring this dream to fruition.

We chose the name Thane because it means a king’s baron, or if you play Skyrim, a local hero. Several of my characters over the years have had the surname Thane, and it just seemed to be fated. The idea of Thane’s Table is to invite other local gaming enthusiasts to visit our tavern and enjoy a fully immersive adventuring experience.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey has been an uphill climb for us. Yes, I have light accounting skills, but how do I learn to file taxes for a bar? I have hired countless people over the years and interviewed many in Utah, Oregon, and North Carolina, but Colorado has its own set of laws and regulations we need to adhere to. I’ve set up and monitored websites before, but now, I had to learn how to manage SEO work and make sure people know about us.

The transition between remote and in-person work has been rough, but not just for us. We started in downtown Denver at the SBA to begin researching areas, laws, regulations, etc. However, like most places, they had also switched to remote. It did take a lot of navigating, calling and researching to make sure we were speaking to the correct people and getting solid updated information.

A lot of the assistance and support we have received has actually been from other small businesses and bar owners. I was astounded to see the warmth and even cheerleading from possible competitors. I think after the last few years, these other small business owners have really established my faith in humanity. Their willingness to step up and help another business owner in need or struggling has been really keeping us going through it all.

A large struggle is actually the exponential inflation. In January, we were getting quotes and pricing to make sure this was all going to possible and fit in our budget. But when it was time to start the work, those prices doubled, some even tripled. That has left us reeling.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Now when I say I’m a Jill of many trades, this is what I mean creatively:

I used to paint murals for family and friends since I was a teenager. I’ll be carrying that skill set into this business to cover our immersive rooms into something out of this world.

Some jobs I’ve had along the way have taught me to build sets for plays, sew costumes for shows and cosplay,

I’ve dabbled in the music world and my brother plays in a D&D band.

I’ve run stage lights and sound boards and have some wonderful plans to create beautiful lighting displays in our tavern.

But I think my love for stories is in my very soul. I use voices and accents in gameplay and even when I’m hosting trivia nights in Denver. I love character strengths just as much as I love their weaknesses. I love to hear or create obstacles that a hero must overcome or perish by. I believe this also sets me apart from others.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are almost to the stage where our floor needs names! Let me explain, it is no fae, rather, if someone wants their character’s or their own name to be remembered forever and seen by many, this is their chance! Before our floors are sealed, we are opening the opportunity for gamers to add to our custom map. Our website has a rough draft map and a form to fill out. This supports us in many ways. First, we get to meet other gamers excited for this business, it makes our floor look amazing, and it would help us through this inflation obstacle.

Another way to help out would be for those who are excited to share our page! The more who know about us, the more we can hit the ground running!

Contact Info:

• Website: ThanesTable.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanestable/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThanesTable/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThanesTable
• Other: https://thanestable.tumblr.com/